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(No Model.) 2 sheets-sheet 1-. E. W. WOLFE. MACHINE FOR PUSHING TUBES INTO FURNACES. N0. 275,312.

Patented Apr .3, 1883.

N. PETERS. PhuhrLi'hcgnphBr. Washin tm D. C.

(No man. 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

=-E. w. WOLFE.

MACHINE FOR BUSHING TUBB$ INTO PURNAGES. No. 275,312. Patented Apr.3,188 3.

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N. PETERS. PhclO-Lilhngmphgr. Washington. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

EDWARD W. \VOLFE, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE READING IRON \VORKS, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE FOR PUSHING. TUBES lNTO FURNACES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 275,312, dated April 3, 1883.

Application filed January 2, 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDWARD W. \NOLFE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Reading, Berks county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Pushing Tubes into Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

M yinvention relates to certainimprovements in apparatus for introducing skelps and tubes into heating-furnaces of tube-mills; and my invention consists in combining with the tubeheating furnace a receiver or trough at each end of the same, with suspended or overhead tracks, and two carriages, each provided with a push-rod, whereby the cold skelp may be first introduced into the furnace, and after it has been ejected therefrom at the other end and rolled into a tube the hot tube may be returned to the furnace to be reheated prior to rerolling, as more fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an outline diagram illustrating my invention; Fig. 2, a section on the line 1 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction ofthe arrow 1; Fig. 3, asection on the line 3 4, lookingin the direction of the arrow 2. Fig. 4. is an enlarged plan view,

partly'in section, of the traversing carriage and gearing which may be employed in operating the same; and Fig. 5, a corresponding side view.

My invention is partially illustrated in the Letters Patent No. 267,633, granted to me November 14, 1882, in connection with mechanism for raising and lowering the tube-receiving trough, but is disclaimed in said patent.

Referring to Sheet 1, A is an ordinary tubeheating furnace, at the rear end of which is a trough or receiver, B, directly opposite an opening, I), Fig. 3, in the end of the furnace, this trough being preferably combined with raising and lowering mechanism, so that a tube or skelp can be rolled from the floor into the trough when the latter is lowered, and then raised with the trough to a position which will permit the pushing of the tube into the furnace through the opening 1) in the end of the same, as described in my said patent. At the opposite or front end of the furnace are the usual rolls, a. a, and on one side of these rolls is a fixed trough or receiver, B, Fig. 2,

directly opposite an opening, b,in that end of the furnace, so that when a newly-rolled tube is deposited in this trough it will be in a position to be immediately returned into the furnace to be reheated prior to being rerolled.

To push the skelp from the trough B into the furnace and to push the hot rolled tube back into the furnace from the trough B, I make use of traveling carriages D, as indicated in the drawings. Each carriage 1) is provided at its lower end with a push-rod, which, as shown at 00, may have a forked end for pushing in the skelp at the rear end of the furnace, while at the front ofthe furnace the pusher may have an enlarged conical end, as shown at w, to return the rolled tube; or, if preferred, both push-rods may be alike. These carriages D have wheels adapted to overhead tracks E, and are so connected to chains passing over suitable drums and pulleys provided with reversing-gear that the said carriages can at the proper moment be caused to traverse toward or from the furnace over the lines of their respective troughs, to push the skelps or tubes into the furnace, and then return to their normal positions at the outer ends of the troughs, as shown in the drawings.

While I do not desire to confine myself to any particular mechanism for traversing these carriages, I prefer to use the devices shown on Sheet 2 of the drawings, in which it will be seen that the track E, above referred to, consists of two beams or rails, c c, suspended by rods from the roof of the building and properly stayed.

The carriage D, which preferably consists v of wrought-iron plates, and on the lower end of which is fixed the pusher w, is provided with wheels 9, adapted to the upper and lower edges of the beams c e, and to opposite ends of the carriage are connected the opposite ends of an endless chain, F, which at one end passes over a drum or grooved pulley, Gr, having its bearings in the beams, and at the other over a sprocket-wheel, H, on a shaft, H. On the end of this shaft H is secured a bevel-wheel, I, gearing into two bevel-wheels, J .J, loose on a driving-shaft, K, having its hearings in brackets kk, secured to one of the beams.

On the shaft K is a clutch-block, L, which turns with the shaft, but can be moved thereon by means ofa lever, M, between the two wheels J J, one end of the clutch-block being adapted to engage with the hubof one wheel, J, and the other end of the block being adapted to engage with the hub of the other wheel. By throwing, this blockinto gear with one or other of these bevel-Wheelsthe shaft 11 can be caused to revolve in one direction or the other, and traverse the carriage and its pusher by means of the chain 1+ toward or from the furnace.

By the above-described mechanism a skelp can be promptly pushed from the trough B,

- Sheet 1, into the furnace, and by similar mechanism rolled tubes can be returned to the furnace from the trough B to be reheated prior to rerolling, the operatives required to attend n. W. WOLFE.

Witnesses .TAMEs R. KENNEY, J. ED. MILLER. 

